Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Who are these people? What drove them? What made them believe in this man and his movement when others did not? On a day when we celebrate one of the greatest days in A-merry-ca's history, let us not forget the people who made this possible: The volunteers the true believers, and the people who worked tirelessly in the trenches to bring what they felt was real change to Washington and to our beleaguered republic. These people, these O-Aide drinking Obamaholics, epitomized what this campaign and this movement was all about.

So today, as the post-mortems begin, and as A-merry-ca starts to realize just how historic this moment is, let us not lose site of the fact that there are still millions of Obamaholics out there who don't want to stop here. They want to volunteer their time and energy to the movement. They want to become a part of something greater than themselves, and they want to contribute to it in any way that they can. Obama touched on these themes while he was campaigning and I hope he follows through. He talked about young people exchanging their time and services for contributions from the government towards their college tuition. He talked about community organizers and elected officials taking a more active roles in their respective communities, and building this country from the ground up. I hope follows through on those themes, because it doesn't take a lot of money to make that happen, all it takes is the bull horn from the bully pulpit.

And the Obamaholics will listen and heed the call. The frat boy blew his chance to unify this nation after 911 and make a real call for service greater than oneself. Let's hope the O man doesn't make the same mistake.

It won't be easy. George Bush and his republican friends did not leave the O man much to work with (that's right give the country to the black man when it is at its worse), and he is going to have to have everyone in A-merry-ca understand that whatever we do, we are going to do it together. Our sacrifices will be shared, it is our country again.

And now a quick public service announcement from the field: Quite a few people have been asking your boy what I am going to do now that the O ness is in the hizhouse. What are you going to have to bitch about now field? No more victimhood field. Are you going to be as hard on your boy as you were George Bush, field?.....

Let me say for the record that I will be right here calling bullshit when I see it. And if you white folks think you are going to be off the hook because a black man is in the beige house, think again. I know the general consensus now is that racism ended on November 4, 2008. Not! And I will be here calling out ignorance as I always have until the day I find Lark Voorhies. And yes, the first day that his O ness messes up, I will be right here calling him on it as well. ("Mess" being a relative term of course) But you Obamaholics knew that, you knew that I sipped the O- Aid but I didn't drink it. Still, let's give the O man a chance, he really inherited a seriously fucked up country. (Thank you George Bush) Rome wasn't built in a day, and O-merica won't be either.

122 comments:

No, Field, racism did not end on November 4th. And the economy was not miraculously fixed, the wars did not end, and the education system was not fixed either. But yesterday, this country came together to elect the man who I believe will steer this country in the right direction towards greatness. And yes, President Obama may occassionally stumble and mis-step. And we are all going to be coming here to post our opinion. Aint it great! :)

btw...Jody says if you run tonight you are on your own, cause she is too tired to come watch/video, or to offer any legal services.

Well stated, field. Like many others, I am happy for the "O" man, African Americans and, most of all, for our country. But what you say is sobering but fact: This is no longer "the richest country in the world." This is a debtor nation, a nation in hock to Germany, Japan, and China, a country that feels that, since they are funding the Iraq war, they can send us poisonous toys and lethal toothpaste.

It is our country again. That means the problems are ours too. While putting us on the road to solving these problems, the "O" man will need us to be patient as he steers us out of the worse economy since the depression and the perhaps the worse status abroad ever. But great leaders are made in trying times. Here's to you, "O" man.

You're right about the O-aid. I feel like I'm rady to help him make America better. Knocking on doors, I felt a sense of purpose. One more door, and Barack gets Ohio. One more $25 and he can take Pennsylvania. If he can organize the nation like he did the campaign, here I am. Signed. Sealed. Delivered.

I have been feeling a bit left out all day, listening to Louis Gates, etc., etc. I am a poor white woman, and I worked in the campaign, and donated money I couldn't afford, because of what he was saying, and it wasn't "I am the embodiment of black American's hopes," it was "I want to speak for ALL Americans," so I am feeling, "he is MY president, too! he is half WHITE! So just shut up, already, about how 'historic' this is for race relations! I think it is more of a CLASS thing.

He hates Obama...those tears were his way of trying to get back in Obama's good grace for a prominent positions...With Jackson knowing that his time is over. The same reason Bill Clinton decided to campaign with Obama at the last minute when all the polls strongly indicate Obama winning. If Obama was down in the polls, Bill Clinton wont show his face.

What drove me to volunteer for Obama? Well I followed his progress throughout the primaries, then came the speech in Philadelphia about race. He articulated everything I felt in my heart about race in America. It was honest and genuine. I believe that he sincerely wants what is best for everyone in this country and in this world. No he is not perfect but I believe that he will do the best that he can with what is left of this country.

Ironically enough, I was sent into an Italian neighborhood in south Philadelphia my first time canvassing the weekend after the speech. Being from NY I didn't know about the neighborhood I was going into, but my partner did. He was an older black man, about 60 and he told me how racist the neighborhood was as we walked. We were so discouraged by some of the responses we got. But it takes all kinds to make the world go around and the hate just made me go harder to make it happen! Thanks haters!

anon 9:47..... Obama's win is a win for everyone, but it is also true that it is an historic moment in the history of this country's african american experience. You don't need to be black to celebrate that.... you can just enjoy, appreciate and honor it. Fact is, for us white folks, it is something for us to celebrate, too. Kinda like when you celebrate someone's birthday. You are there to appreciate that person, to honor their lives, and share in their joy. It doesn't need to be your birthday, too for you to celebrate.

Beautifully written as always, Field. I'm glad that I was alive to be a small part of this historic moment.

Yet, there's a part of me that wish I was now coming of age, so that I could have many more years to be a part of that workforce that will help rebuild this country brick by brick--its esteem in the world, its economic soundess, and its reinvestment in its people.

But, if had a choice: I would opt for this moment at this time in our history, because I feel that I played a small, but significant part, in the coming of age of our nation, a nation that is on the precipice of living out its creed: "...that all men are created equal."

Like you, I'm prepared to redouble my efforts to help create the nation that I have always envisioned for me and mine, and for yours, and fashion a world that will work cooperatively for peace, and the common good.

Like you, I'm prepared to make sacrifices to assure that the momentum that has been set in motion continue unabated, carrying with it the best hopes of humanity.

Like you, I'm basking in a pride that I've never felt before, and those words, "Barack Obama, this nation's first black president," still giving me goosebumps so many hours after first hearing them.

And, like you, I'm prepared to strive, really strive, for Obama's success as our nation's first black president, for our success as we seek to support him, and for the success of our endeavors to "form a more perfect union."

"and why won't you blog once you do find Lark? "...Because this blog is just a shamless attempt to get her attention.

no white power, I will not. That is what poor trailer park trash folks who are inadequate in bed do. Pay someone else to come and service their poor wives.

And if you keep this up, I will have Mrs. Field come to Los Angeles and kick your sorry ass. Oh yes,I am monitoring your IP address, asshole; because I just might want to kick your sorry ass myself. I know this is supposed to be a kinder gentler A-merry-ca now that his O ness is in power, but I didn't get the memo.

Yes President-elect Obama is not a perfect man, and will not be a perfect president. This is another milestone in the country's history and believe President-elect Obama will run this country much in the way he ran his campaign which is probably the best organized and discipline campaign I have ever seen.

It will not be easy for this new president for he is inheriting a trillion dollar debt, two wars, and weakening economic that is facing a recession that could last at least two years. He will have his work ahead of him, and in the process of building his staff starting with offering Rahm Emmanuel the Chief of Staff position.

I did volunteer with going to PA, making phone calls, and registering people because I believed that it was important to finally have a person on the office who is smart and competent, and I do not regret doing it and enjoyed it.

I don't really want an Omerica. I hoping he takes small steps that he believes are correct. His talk of re-making America is scary. This is coming from someone who makes almost nothing, part time. Obama is inheriting a recession just like 43 did from 42 and 42 did from 41.

At some point after the celebrations have diminished (and this may take a while) we all do need to start thinking about: 1. How we continue to participate in the movement and 2. What common ground can we find with non far right republicans. There is much talk about the republican party going through this soul searching and I think with this is an opportunity for the party to move more to the center. What would help this along is democrats willingness to reach out to the non pitchfork republicans

I agree with you (Wayne!) that now Barack has a great opportunity to build on all the enthusiasm and goodwill folks are feeling. I'm glad you'll still be here calling it like you see it.

Heard you on the radio today. Now don't take this the wrong way -- it's a compliment: you're one of the rare people who sounds better and more coherent in person than in writing. After having read your blog for a long time, it was good to hear your voice.

I was at my 2nd job as a cook as sitting at a table watching KO (It was slow) and this lady sitting to my back left was on her cell phone talking to someone about how much money Obama made, "was absurd and rediculous, could have been used for something better, yada yada yada" I started laughing..She didn't realize that the people that gave Obama the money for his campaign "authorized" him to use it as he saw fit..Them silly McCain supporters..lol

Field...listening to AM hate radio today-The dow dropped almost 500 today, and they blamed it on the fear of the O-Man and his mighty tax raises on the poor trodden down billionaires.

Party of personal responsibility my pasty-white-ass. They have blamed every one of their screwups for the past 8 years on Bill Clinton, and are going to blame all of their screw-ups up for the next 2 months on Barack Obama.

Better get used to it O-man...ask the big dog himself; you got about 8 more years of this stuff coming your way from the repugs.

I was telling a friend earlier today that we're all riled up and we've been seeing more community involvement than ever before now. Folks aren't just going to sit back and twiddle their thumbs. In fact, somebody needs to be camping out, trying to get footage of your run, which will then be sold on ebay to raise money for a trip to DC on Inauguration Day. ;)

I volunteer time and I donate cash for the community. I'm going to keep doing so. But I'll admit that I am more inspired to keep doing so after seeing what volunteers and donations did to get a man elected. There was a lot of grass-roots community work that went into the O victory, and if regular people can make that happen, they can do anything. Or so I'm inspired to believe.

I was inspired by Obama because he believes as I was taught by my working class Black parents: we are ALL Americans and your color doesn't matter. "Yes, we can" makes much more since than listening the the gloom and doom and hoplessness of the replicans. We proved, indeed, that together we can repair the damange that 8 years of Bush has done.

So, I have been officially laughing and crying and cheering for THREE days now! I am blessed, because everyone I meet (whether they voted for Barck Obama, or not) understands my joy. Thank you for passing along the vote of Alexander Reed. And. what I want to tell you, Field, is this: Your running would be very entertaining, but what I really need from you is to help, fight, argue, shout and believe. Thanks for being HERE.

Field, I have proclaimed amnesty on the Broad Street Buff Run. I've invited visitors to join in with a supportive comment on my blog because your heart was in the right place, even though your cynicism prompted rash promises. :D

I'm excited! I'm thrilled; but there was a group primarily consisting of first generation immigrant minorities(of Asian descent--I'd rather not specify which Asian group) who were angry about Obama being elected in mass.

This particular group has high expectations for their children in regard to academic achievement; yet they couldn't find anything good to say about Obama.

In regards to your PSA, I agree with you 100%. Obama is not the second coming of Christ in a Superman cape and wearing a Batman utility belt. He is human and he's going to mess up some times. It is important to have people around willing to hold him accountable, because how well he governs this country in the midst of all this mess (hopefully for the next 8 years) will reflect positively or negatively on the chances of another “non-white-male” attaining the highest office in the land, in the future.

So let’s enjoy the high that we’ve all got off this new drug called “hope” while we can. Once that wears off, however, let’s recognize the reality of our collective situation and tone down our expectations while maintaining the level involvement that occurred during the campaigns!

The Obamas are moving into a house built by slaves. It troubled John & Abigail Adams to see that, but few presidents since have probably given much thought to it, until now. I think Barack & Michelle will remember it often.

Someone asked if anyone had experienced resistance in the workplace. I'm the only one out of 10 people in our department who voted for Obama. I live in Ohio, the county I live in always votes Republican overall, so I'm one of those 30% in the county who voted for him.

Yesterday, my coworkers were all talking about it, and I'm ashamed of some of the comments they said, which I will not repeat. I did not stand there and listen to them, I walked away. Mind you, I work in Human Resources which "should be" one of the departments that have some open minded individuals. They finally got the hint and then started speaking in hushed voices around me. Some of the things they said fired me up to the point that I wanted to just scream at their narrow mindedness and ignorance, however I bit my tongue until it was completely bloody.

"Let me say for the record that I will be right here calling bullshit when I see it. And if you white folks think you are going to be off the hook because a black man is in the beige house, think again. "

Exactly. Some white folks with the encouragement of some deluded black folks are starting to plant this notion. I always fel it would actually enable more subliminal and blatant racism towards the average black person.

Ok, I have a confession and I'm hiding my jugular for this one. I'm having thoughts with some things regarding this entire victory. While I'm relieved the O-man won, I'm not feeling the historical first "black" president aspect of it for some reason. I'm just going to come out and say it. I think one of the main reasons some white people backed and voted him in, was with feeling he might be able to relate to them due to his half white heritage (he's different from the others syndrome). So deep down I'm finding this "first black president" victory somewhat adulterating due to that possible notion.

Second, when I see an elected president like the O-man born to a "black" man, and a "black" woman and raised by a "black" family/extended "black" family here in America, then I will really rejoice and place my faith in America. Just my humble thoughts.

BTW Field, I think Jess was cying because it wasn't him on stage instead.

I agree la incognita, that will be the real test. I'm a white(ish) woman and I love Obama. As my president, yes. But as just regular old humans, he and his wife have got to be the most stellar people I've seen on the political scene in my lifetime. I'm crossing fingers and toes, pinched up closed eyes, wondering if the shoe will drop (please don't drop, shoe...)

But yeah, you're right, he was raised by white people and I remember when he first came on the scene this was a common argument among black Americans, that he wasn't truly African American ...even though technically he actually is.. but I understood people were saying: That he wasn't an African who came from American slavery and that is something that means a lot to people. To have someone to represent that aspect of our history.

But then again, he is freer from it than the rest of us are ~ we who came from those owned (um, except me, my peeps are Quakers) or were slaves. His American history is unencumbered with that. And he is black and he is white. Yin and yang. In some ways, he is best of us, maybe. Yes, I'm idealizing. Ofcourse I am. But my fingers and toes are still crossed.

Ok back to my own blog now. I enjoyed coming over here Field, it was an interesting perspective I never anticipated, and even though I sort of hate you now for deleting my last comment, I'll always be grateful watching you defiantly yielding to hope.

Whether 1/2 black or all black, he's black enough for the rest of us to now feel totally comfortable eliminating all forms of racist, government sponsored affirmative action as just happened in colorado, nebraska, arizona and is coming soon to ballots in many other states over the next 4 years.

I really think that we need to stop and take note right now. I think we are witnessing greatness. And I don't mean that lightly, it's sort of greatness we will not see again in our lifetimes. I think the O-man will ultimately achieve the sort of historical greatness that Lincoln, FDR and MLK attained. I think he's going to change the world, he's that smart and he's that much of a visionary. I think the next four years are going to be amazing.

Can't we have any joy? every blog I go to white people are stating how the O man is half white, so was Rosa Parks, so was W.E.B.DuBois, and it's not a day that black people should rejoice in because his mother is white. WTF?

Why do white people suddenly lose all memory of the past. There must be NO black people in Amerikka because we ALL have white relatives. How dare they. Now when an historic positive event happens to American Blacks white people want to taint our joy. I bet if Obama was OJ they wouldn't be claiming he's half white. Also, now some whites, like above, are claiming racism is over and affirmative action. what does the O man getting into office change the fact that over 48 million people voted for McCain and as we saw many supporters were racist. How dare you white people take our joy and act like slavery never happened. Obama taking office didn't stop me from losing my house, or help in my endless search for work. Now white people can be even more racist because now they will say there is no racism the O man is in office. Thanks for taking my joy you conveniently forgetful, insensitive people. Black people are rejoicing because WE HAVE OVERCOME symbolically. Can't you ever be graceful and apologize for our mistreatment since being forced to these shores? I'm sure the kkk considers OBama black, and he has a beautiful black family so STFU

This is certainly an important time in the history of black America. It ranks right up there with the Emancipation Proclamation, Jackie Robinson breaking the color line and the Civil Rights movement.

But before we get too giddy lets remember that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. After the Civil War racists created Jim Crow and the Klan. Accepting blacks into the Major Leagues destroyed the Negro leagues and all the wealth it created in OUR community. After the schools were legally desegregated white folks moved to the suburbs. Blacks moved to the burbs; whites moved to the exurbs. Our schools are as separate and unequal as ever. The forces of bigotry and intolerance aren't just going to take their marbles and go home, they're planning their counterattack as we speak.

Our traditional methods of political uplift; Affirmative Action, protests, the NAACP, and government programs have been under attack. With Obama's presidency these methods will be totally useless and ineffective. It's over. The civil rights era has officially come to an end.

So let's start mapping out new strategies and stop acting like children with a new toy. Our children are still growing up in poverty. Our young men are still either on drugs, selling drugs or doing time for drugs. Jobs are still scarce and education is financially out of reach. Doesn't matter if its because of racism or not, these issues exists.

It ain't over yet and only the political naïve would think that it is.

"How dare you white people take our joy and act like slavery never happened Can't you ever be graceful and apologize for our mistreatment since being forced to these shores?"

As if all white people in America now were living in America before the 1860's!!! If a white man immigrated last week from Russia does he owe you an apology too?

HAHA now you REALLY sound like a fieldnegro who thinks every aspect of cradle to grave massa-state slavehouse (public housing and footstamp) life is predetermined by massa. Your BLACK (yes black, 1% or 99% still black) president has won and you are ALREADY blaming da white man for something.

Now YOU get the fun of getting the blame. Blacks are suddenly stuck with nominal responsibility for themselves, and already we have one black claiming, 'I'm still not responsible for myself, my lack of job, my mortgage - WHITE people still have to gimme gimme gimme!'

Well too bad. Your mack daddy won and now the rest of us finally get to call individual black people out on problems of self-responsibility. No more affirmative action now. No more freebies from whites. You will actually have to get that job. If you need a handout, maybe you can ask Obama for it.

Obama is the BEST thing to happen to whites since the civil rights act.

Sorry I missed hearing you on NPR/"News and Notes"; but, will NOT fail to see you make that run, Field - (the virtual run ain't gonna suffice). While you continue to hold American white folks accountable for their ignorance, we expect you to also hold American black folks for their ignorance as well (and you know, we got more than our share of it). Many Americans ARE turning away from the sour milk of identity politics; BHO's election is undeniable proof. It signals our shift away from the constraints of tribal-parochial/identity politics. Thanks, again for this blog and keeping us honest and informed.

Can't we have any joy? every blog I go to white people are stating how the O man is half white, so was Rosa Parks, so was W.E.B.DuBois, and it's not a day that black people should rejoice in because his mother is white. WTF?

Why do white people suddenly lose all memory of the past. There must be NO black people in Amerikka because we ALL have white relatives. How dare they. Now when an historic positive event happens to American Blacks white people want to taint our joy.

********************************Exactly right. The tragic mulatto complex is showing once again. Now that he has won—all of sudden he is half white even though technically he identifies as Black and didn’t pull a Tiger Woods Cabalanaiamaiasm bullshit line to distance himself away from being black. He married an unambiguously Black woman and for a time attended a black church dominated with the Christian Liberation Theology that followed the civil Rights ethos. He seems to have understood the complexities of race, even when he confronted his grandmother’s obviously racist beliefs about blacks and whites still believe he threw her under the bus. Funny how many Blacks understood what he meant.

I keep forgetting that anything is good is attributed to the all powerful blinding Whiteness and that his White side not only helped him win but that white goodness cancelled out or blotted out the bad defective black parts of him. So many Black Americans have an Obama racial makeup-up and have no problems identifying with and simply being Black.

Someone on my local paper's forum posted a reminder that Obama is half "Irish"! It's to laugh. After demonizing him for all these months as a "foreigner," "socialist," "marxist," "Muslim," "Arab," etc., all of a sudden the white conservatives want to claim him as one of their own. White people are weird!

melissa: Hey, that's my first name, I feel like I wrote your comment. I've lost respect for some/many of my co-workers because of the racist things they've been saying after McCain lost. I'm insulted by how they say anyone who voted for Obama is an "idiot." I'm disgusted by the racism in the comments in the local paper. I am happy and amazed the county I live in, which is mostly white and still racist, voted as a majority for Obama. I think his win will cause racist to show their true feelings but I hope it can also open discussion on the remaining racism in this country.

bean twn chica & Dark Moon, I am right there with you. This moment is historical, I don't care that he is of mixed heritage or whatever, to me he is a Black man, married to a Black woman with Black children. I would bet that people of non color look at him and see a Black man period. Look at the hatred we have endured through this election, they see Black. Why must we look for something else, why can't you just see what's in front of you. First African American President of the United States of America. This is a victory for our people, young and old. Yeah baby.

White Power - Take your ignorant, racist views and crawl back into your cesspool. Field is far superior to you because Field is not afraid to publish your pathetic comments. You would never have the confidence to do the same.

The meds and lobotomy (look it up) obviously did not work. Maybe you need to give it another try.

Actually white power, let me put it to you this way. If you and your white racist friends are so powerful, then why don't you have a candidate who can get elected president? Maybe your power is only in your twisted imagination and that's why you are so pissed off.

Yes, there are still racists in this country. And a few fascists, too. But look at this map that shows not the voting, but the change in voting. They're being hemmed in and in another 4 or 8 years being a racist will become unfashionable even in Arkansas and Tennessee.

Jesse Jackson does not hate Obama and tutored him many a day on the exercise bikes at East Bank in Chicago...I knew Barack as the "dude that rode next to Jesse on the bikes"...when the apprentice bests the mentor there is always some tension...but Jesse is truly happy for the O'man...plus Jesse Jr. is the frontrunner for Obama's senate seat...

Ohhh..Field! You are so right! Now, the real white folks have come out. They are tired of hiding their "PC" talk. They are not in power anymore and it makes them mad...We can't let them win again. They want us to fail. It's time to finally prove them wrong. Let's turn this country around. And seriously the country must be really, really, really, really, bad if they are gonna let the black guy just walk in there. Sorry Republicans, you have to realize the Bushpublicans betrayed you. It's every man for himself now. Let's pary for our country and do our best to save it.

I was reading the comments on whites claiming Obama as one of their own, and blacks saying wait just a minute, Obama is black, he claims black as his race, was black when he ran for President, and now that he has won whites want to claim him as 1/2 white. When he was running for President, whites denied him being part white.

Whites throughout the centuries have denied those of mixed parentage the white side of their ancestry and even made it a law—the one-drop blood rule, which was mean-spirited and hurt deeply those who were born of mixed parentage. In addition, the majority of blacks in America can claim white ancestry in their own family and likewise whites can claim blacks in their ancestry as well, but they chose not to throughout history and denied the existence of having black relatives. Nevertheless, to be truthfully honest, he is a part of both black and white ancestry. Black and white blood flows through his veins and the genetic makeup of half-and-half of his DNA as it is with the majority of Americans today—black and white.

President Elect Obama’s birth certificate declares black as his race. Nevertheless, he does not deny the white side of his family either, nor do they deny him, and he loves them just as much as he does his African relatives. I'm sure that President Elect Obama has at one time or another felt like many other folks who are of mixed parentage feel. That this age old argument about skin color is ridiculous, unnecessary, one color is no better than the other, and that we are all family connected by blood lines that runs deep whether some want to admit that or not.

My questions are should President Elect Obama have to choose sides between bloodlines just to please others? Why should he be torn between the two races because of the selfishness of others? Why can’t both races embrace him equally as did his white and black family as one of their own? Why can’t both whites and blacks get over the petty bickering and share in being proud that he represents both races through his bloodlines? Can’t blacks be proud of the fact that he made history as being the first black man elected President of the USA? Can’t whites be just as proud that he is a part of them as well? Why can’t both white and blacks share in the victory and put their differences behind them, come to some type of compromise, and put the old ways of the past that caused division behind?

I challenge folks to research their family roots, because they would be surprised at what lessons they'll learn about color. I guarantee you that many of you will find out that there are no such things as a pure white or black race existing in America.

I have pictures of many of my relatives. I have had company that came to visit me to ask me who are those white people on the pictures. When I tell them some looked at me with a brief look of disbelief. Nonetheless, they are my flesh and blood and I love them equally as President Elect Obama I'm positively sure does his. I’m sure that this is one subject that grieves him.

I’ve said this once and I’m going to repeat myself. Americans are going to learn some valuable lessons from President Elect Obama in more ways than one. He is going to be one of the best Presidents the USA has ever had, because God got his hand in this.

I wonder how many times I'll hear that racism died on November 4th. I know that it will copntinue to rear its ugly head. Oprah and Obama will be heralded as examples why racism is gone, but they're merely exceptions to the rule.

However, his victory symbolizes that nothing is impossible. I can't fron. I drunk the "o-ade", but I can detect bs when I hear it too. This man wont get a free pass from me because of his skin color.

With that being said, I'm still in awe that he did win. This'll be obe for the history books. We did it!

I know all of you remember me telling you that when this election was over that they would put Palin's name through the wringer, whelp, they've been doing just that. Pay back is something else, what you do to others will be done to you.

Yup, the dung is fixing to hit the fans, and Palin is probably going to get upset and do a little snitching of her own. The Palin saga will probably become a series on television sort of like "Peyton Place".

I have been absent cause I was waiting for all the hoopla to die down so we can begin again to talk about the work ahead. You are right a movement of those who believe in all the idealistic talk- that has been so freely tossed around --has to take hold. The real work and real progress has always come from the bottom forcing the top to make changes or suffer dire consequences. History has proven this over and over and the Obama presidency that brings about real change will have to take the same route. The people will have to help him by pushing for what we want. The idea that pulling a lever will bring about real and lasting change is misguided and naive.

And you are right as many of us more radical minded folks have been saying a black president won't rid us of the institutionalized "isms."

Unfortunately many are in for some rude awakenings. I will be right there with you Field still fighting for the right and calling out even the new "guy" when he comes short of promised expectations.

I cried for my mother who is no longer here...I wish she could have witnessed last night.

I cried for my deceased grandmother who instilled the love of reading and education within me.

I cried last night for Martin

I cried last night for Malcolm

I cried last night for Medgar

I cried last night for Rosa Parks

I cried last night for Emmitt Till

I cried for The 4 Little Black Girls who died in the church bombing in Birmingham. A race of people HATED US SO MUCH THAT THEY WOULD BLOW UP OUR PLACES OF WORSHIP AND KILL INNOCENT LITTLE BLACK GIRLS? Yes, of course I cried.

I cried for all of those who gave their lives, blood, sweat and tears.

I cried, and I cried again...for all of those bloated BLACK bodies with eyes bulging, swaying in the tepid winds from a branch of a Mississippi or Alabama or Georgia poplar trees, such "STRANGE FRUIT"....

I cried for all my ancestors

I cried for all of OUR ancestors...

...Yes......I may just cry again....excuse me while I go cry now. "

quote 2

"Can't find a newspaper hardly anywhere! I guess people are saving the paper NOVEMBER %, 2008 headlines as a keepsake, memento, souvenir for future generations to saw how history recorded the moment.

God is good!

I am 37 years old...I NEVER thought I would see, at least NOT IN MY LIFETIME, a BLACk president of the United States!

All glory to the Creator, because HE, after all, is still most high."

quote 3

I didnt expect to cry but I immediately thought of my father who put up with racist attacks his entire life while growing up in Georgia. He grew up eating peanut butter crackers nearly everyday of his life for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Born in the house cuz the hospital didnt take Black patients.

Then I thought of his aunts who raised him in the south by slaving in the textile mills.

Then I started thinking of the amount of kids that those aunts took care of that werent theirs...they took them in cuz they knew better.

Next came thoughts of my grandmother who was chased by the KKK when she went to protest in Alabama.

and my sister who was recently attacked in North Carolina,and then finally yes, I cried.

Then this morning I went to my sons school and they were holding a celebration, and saying prayers for the ancestors and talking with the kids about what Black people used to go through and I cried again. The elders of the school were in tears talking to the kids too.

I dont care what yall nay sayers say, we have a Black family in the white house, and he's not a conservative republican, or religious extremist....it couldnt be a better day :)

Why do white people suddenly lose all memory of the past. There must be NO black people in Amerikka because we ALL have white relatives. How dare they. Now when an historic positive event happens to American Blacks white people want to taint our joy. I bet if Obama was OJ they wouldn't be claiming he's half white.

Also, now some whites, like above, are claiming racism is over and affirmative action. what does the O man getting into office change the fact that over 48 million people voted for McCain and as we saw many supporters were racist. How dare you white people take our joy and act like slavery never happened.

This is a big country without an excess of restraint when it comes to freedom of speech. We have 300 million people here, 210 million of whom are adults. By the statistical laws, that means there are 261,412 people who get up each morning, bow to all four corners of the room, remove their tin foil hats counter-clockwise, go into the bathroom and say a prayer to the E.T. they see standing behind them.

Which is to say that there are all manner of fools, idiots, cranks, rogues, and pure nutcases loose in America. The whackjobs come in every ethnic category. The question is then whether you are going to regard them as oddballs or whether you are going to decide that they represent a lot of people.

Who is black and who is not black has a significant cultural component. Whites are hardly the only people who make color distinctions among blacks. You know this better than I do.

Is Obama "half black" or "half white?" In a sense, it's an interesting question because it certainly has been relevant in his life, given that he was raised by white people. But at another level the question, and especially this sort of debate (with recriminations) offends me. "That one" was the "best man for the job." It's why I voted for him. I judged him on the content of his character. It's a side benefit that the U.S. has just elected a president who, by our cultural standard, is obviously a black man. It's a step forward, although that is somewhat attenuated in my mind when I read that CA's anti-gay Prop 8 was defeated as the result of black voters there supporting it by a 70%-30% margin.

Clearly, there is work to do on a number of fronts; the idea that we've someone wiped every slate clean is ludicrous. What we've just done is given ourselves some hope that our better angels have a higher chance of reining in our evil spirits. It's no guarantee, but I for one am in the mood to take "Yes" for answer when I see it, and hope for other "Yes" answers in the future.

"You white people?" From the looks of things, once all the votes are counted, there will be more than 40 million of "you white people" who gave Barack Obama their votes. Bean twn chica, you often raise good points, but I just can't let what you wrote go unanswered.

p.s.: I'm glad that a couple people, including field, liked my "hate is the dullest knife in the drawer" comment. Before I retired people in my office would tell me that I had missed my calling: That I should have been an advertising guy, because I had a knack for one-liners.

But there's something serious to say about that. We can never ignore hatred, but sometimes I think we react with too much intensity. Whether or not they realize it, people who spin hatred are trying to toy with our primitive brains, the same part that we inherited from crocodiles.

That part of the brain is a fight-or-fight brain. We can't live without it, but it's not a good place to make too many decisions. When someone is trying to fuck with that part of your head, getting angry in return is handing a victory to the hater that shouldn't be given.

I do realize that this is easier said than done, and that it's a never-ending struggle. On the bright side, it sure looks to me as if we've just elected a man who has long since put his lizard brain in its appropriate place, way on the back shelf. It's a good example to aspire to.

My heartiest congratulations to Barack Obama. His victory is also a victory for forty years of American civil-rights activism and struggle. In that sense, his election win was historic and, in the best possible sense of the word, jarring and jaw-dropping. It came close to bringing a tear to this old Canadian cynic's eye. . . .

Close, but no cigar. Obama, at the end of the day, is still a politician, with all the narcissism and corruption that that implies. I imagine, as with his predecessors in the Oval Office, that within a few years we'll begin to see the real Barack Obama and what HIS priorities are. When that happens, I suspect that even the Obama-holics will be forced to face reality.

public eye, I hear you and to a significant degree I agree with you. I actually had to discount all the adoring crowds before I could support Obama. I distrust adoring crowds, but I realized that Obama is a smart, steady, liberal Democrat. I didn't think he misused his crowds, so I eventually got comfortable with the idea of them.

On a really good day in politics, you get two-thirds of what you wanted, and prevented three-quarters of what you didn't want. The guy or gal you supported is often the one who will disappoint you most bitterly, although I hasten to add that George W. Bush was a shining example of the rule that there is an exception to every rule.

Obama is the president elect. Today is Thursday. He was elected less than two days ago. He won't take office for another two and a half months. Let's wait a little while before dwellings on the mistakes that will surely come.

When they do come, I'll judge them as I judge all political mistakes. How big is it? How stupid was it? How venal was it? And, especially, once he knew it was a mistake, how did he handle it? All of these things remain to be seen, but for now, I'm telling myself that there is a reason we elected the guy. He deserves a fair chance.

Close, but no cigar. Obama, at the end of the day, is still a politician, with all the narcissism and corruption that that implies. I imagine, as with his predecessors in the Oval Office, that within a few years we'll begin to see the real Barack Obama and what HIS priorities are. When that happens, I suspect that even the Obama-holics will be forced to face reality.:

I don't think Obama's mother's second husband was black, I believe he was Asian.

Anyways, I know that President Elect Obama is going to do just fine. I think that MSM should stop trying to tell him what he needs to do and how he needs to do it, and like you I think that all these naysayers should give him a chance to show what he is capable of instead of assuming he is not going to do a good job. He is a very intelligent man with integrity, and I believe he means business and that he is not going to go for any of the old politics as usual business. Yup, he is going to teach America some valuable lessons.

There are the chronic human failures that we know are always going to be with us. In an Obama administration, there will be sex scandals, and bribery scandals, and drug busts. Some will be embarrassing. Some will be sad. Some will be entertaining as hell. We judge these mainly by how they are handled. If there are too many of them over time, then we'll wonder about Obama's integrity, judgment, or both.

There are chance events, or what some call "Acts of God." Maybe "The Big One" will finally hit L.A. or San Francisco or the Pacific Northwest. Maybe someone with a loose nuke will set one off in (name your city, but if they do it ... no, I'm not even going to go there). We judge these by how they are handled, an example being Hurricane Katrina. On Obama's watch, I would include in this category the depression that Bush is gifting to his successor, the exhausted military, the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thanks a lot, George W. You were a real champ.

There are foreseeable errors. These are the most galling. They come from all kinds of mistakes, but what they have in common is that you should have been able to stop them or at least soften the blow. We judge those by how bad it is; how obvious it should have been (i.e., how stupid it was); how much bad faith, arrogance, and corruption was involved; and how Obama and his administration responded.

We wish him the best, but anyone who thinks this is going to be a smooth ride is a Category 5 idiot.

I know that President Elect Obama is going to do just fine. I think that MSM should stop trying to tell him what he needs to do and how he needs to do it

Better give up on that one, granny. The MSM will be hectoring him all the way. It's their job. A fair chance ain't a free ride.

Did you ever think that maybe the Republicans didn't want it this time? McCain was sad but not too sad. There is something going on here. Now that I think about it. They might be setting him up for failure that is why we need to come together. This is gonna be a hard 4 yrs. Wowee!!!

Where is Field? He has not checked in. Is he out doing the naked run? I'm a little worried. Everytime I get banned/blocked from another black blog I come running back home to the Fields. I think it's me, I'm running out of blogs.

Nope, Granny knows without a doubt that Obama is going to do just fine, and I'm not gone take that one back.

Anyways, let me tell all of you something I observed. Every day I go sit out on my front porch for a few minutes, rain or shine, and observe nature, also, because the kids in the neighborhood come by to tell me about their day.

Well to make a long story short, the day before the elections the lawns in the neighborhood were practically dead, because of notices the water company had sent out limiting the use of water. The day after the election every single lawn turned green, which to me is a sign of new beginnings, LIFE.

Consider this a stupid question, I know there's about a six percent margin between Mc and O, but should we be celebrating just yet being God knows how may absentee ballants are still out there? I'm just saying.

Granny knows without a doubt that Obama is going to do just fine, and I'm not gone take that one back.

I wasn't disputing that. I have high hopes for Obama's performance in office. If anyone can do well in what I think is coming, he can. I was arguing with you about the media. I think it's their job to tell him what to do and how to do it, or at least to relay the views of others who would do so.

The media will be on Obama's case. It's part of the job. Goes with the territory.

The statement being made by some that because he was raised by his white grandmother and implying that this is the ONLY reason why he turned out the way he did, is argumentable as well. It has nothing to do with race and is more to do with the values taught in that home and parenting skills, regardless of race.

It wasn't too far back in history when black women were raising white women's children and forced to neglect their own, in order to feed their own. Did those white children raised by black women turn out unsuccessful? President Elect Obama's grandmother did a great job of raising him, no one can deny that. However, to imply that it is only because she was white is a fallacy.

In a sense, this statement leads to the same old "superiority fallacy". President Elect Obama's grandmother was another woman like many other women who teach their children and grandchildren the same values and sacrifice for them.

My parents did the same things with my siblings and me. My own parents sacrificed for my siblings and me, worked hard, not just on one job, but two jobs. I did the same for my kids. I can tell you of a time when I had only two outfits hanging in my closet and one pair of shoes.

The young parents nowadays usually are mostly the ones that might fall in the category of lacking in parenting skills. However, on the other hand, you have to look at it like this, parenting is a skill is learned as well. It's when you become a grandparent that you've sharpened and fine tuned those skills.

GrannystandingforTruth said "Black and white blood flows through his veins and the genetic makeup of half-and-half of his DNA as it is with the majority of Americans today—black and white."

Please check out "Scientific American" July, 2008. We are really all from the same genetic stock. In a way, to say a black man won the office of president, makes as much sense if you said a person with red curly hair and green eyes won the presidency. We don't say a brownette won, or a dyed blond won. Why should we say a black won? Because for centuries people with dark hair and complexions or people of certain ethnicities were denied access to all the amenities of civilization. There might really not be different races from a DNA level; but people have acted as if there were real differences. To overcome all of the real and perceived disadvantages of haveing a dark African look to achieve anything decent in this country has taken exceptional effort.

It would be nice to deny the racism--because it is baseless--but the actions have really been there. Redlining, ceilings, quotas, profiling are just a fragment of the built in racism in our culture. How will get to where the eyes only see a person, and not a black person?

News of 'paint gun' attacks on properties owned by blacks; cars being spray-painted with O's name; some cars burned. Expect a flood of nooses; maybe even a cross or two. A white/neonazi/skinhead backlash is taking place in parts of Pennsylvania. Anywhere else? Be extremely vigilant; look out for each other in these times. These folks ain't giving up this easy - I smell something.

Lady Cracker, when you walk down an isolated street, do you see a black person walking towards you, or do you just see a "person" walking towards you? Please stop the colorblind bull-shit. People like you (white, black and in between) are so quick to hand out the colorblind rhetoric when it's convenient, especially some white people. Stop playing with other people's intelligence. Didn't God make us all differently and beautiful in appearance, as he did flowers and animals? What's wrong with admiring and appreciating each other for our visual differences?? Why all of a sudden "humans" should now not distinguish ourselves based on race and just claim the "human race"? Yet we have no problems to respectfully distinguish flowers, different breeds of animals etc? Nothing is wrong with seeing "color" it's up to you on what YOU choose to see behind it.

Just today a 60-ish black male radio host preached about people needing to "get rid" of the color labeling and people should be able to call themselves what ever race they want. Yet he forgot to mention he only dated white women and he's now married to one. So in his case, he wants everyone to turn around and play colordumb so we can't see how he practices internal racism towards women who "happens" to have black or dark skin. You all of full of crap. lol

As for the mixed-race thing, something else occurred to me. A bunch of scientists think that the human time line is shaped like an hour glass. I saw a fascinating documentary about it on The History Channel's "MegaDiaster" series. The title is "Volcantic Winter," and their website says the next airing of the show is on November 9th.

According to this theory, 75,000 years ago a "supervolcano" exploded in Indonesia. It was hundreds of times bigger that any volcano in recorded history, and it sent so much ash into the stratosphere that there was a global winter that lasted five or more years. Most life on earth died, except for a bunch of insects, crocodiles, fish, and 3,000 humans in East Africa.

According to this theory, every human being now alive can trace his or her ancestry to those 3,000 East Africans. They've done a bunch of genetic testing, and according to this documentary there is strong evidence for the idea.

When I was in college, I took a class in which the professor argued that there was no such thing as "race," but that there were only ethnic groups, many of whose differences are culturally defined. Personally, I think it's as much a semantic question as anything. I figure there's a reason why Kenyan sprinters regularly do pretty damn well at the Olympics, as opposed to say, fast Irish, and I'm not convinced it's because the Irish aren't taught to run.

I also think, though, that many, if not most, racial differences are culturally defined. If you look elsewhere in the world, you'll see this. In Malaysia, for example, there was (and maybe still is, I'm not sure) affirmative action for native Maylays, relative to the dominant Chinese. People who think Jews have an inborn talent for business might not know that the Indian merchant class has been a big issue in places as disparate as Uganda and Burma. It goes on and on.

America has a culture. Thank God it's a malleable culture, but still cohesive. In that regard, we're the envy of Europe. They've love to figure out how it is that a Pakistani and an Indian can move to the United States, become colleagues in an office, and get along well, and integrate into the wider culture, and after a few years be recognizably "American."

To me, the idea that Obama isn't black, or isn't black enough, or is accomplished and smart because he was raised mostly by his white mother and his white grandparents might be interesting (or contain interesting elements) in an intellectual sense. But I think it's just ludicrous for anyone to argue that, here and now in America as well know it, that Obama isn't "black."

I am aware, at least through books, of the long and sad history of racial classification in America for purposes of administering the Fugitive Slave Act and the Jim Crow laws. It is one of this country's shames. But none of that, or the question over race v. ethnicity debated by academics can obscue the current cultural reality, which is that you'd have a hard time convincing very many Americans that Obama isn't "black."

And, by the way, I think that, for where we are right now as a country, there is a whole lot more good than bad in this. We just elected a black president. He has a white mother, but he's a black man. It's a paradox. So are a lot of other things.

I don't know if I said this before on here, but when a sore is full of poison, first the poison has to rise up to the top, second it has to be drained out, in order for a sore to heal. Whelp, it is the same way with the racial divide. The poison consist of the grudges, hurt, pain, bad thought patterns, difference, unforgiveness, unfairness, unfair justice system, false labels, stereotypes, and stubbornness. Did I leave out anything?

The only way we gone get past it and overcome it, is with open, honest discussions, and action taken in working towards healing.

We haven't had any incidents like that out this way on the West Coast. However, I did read where a police officer had to resigned behind pictures of him at a costume kkk party, giving a mock nazi salute.

la incognita:

There are some 100,000 votes that are still being counted out this way. I don't think it will make a difference though, because the majority of people out this way were for Obama. Besides the election was over when he reached the 270 electoral votes, popular votes don't count.

Ladycracker:"Redlining, ceilings, quotas, profiling are just a fragment of the built in racism in our culture. How will get to where the eyes only see a person, and not a black person?"

It will end when people stop doing it and put an end to redlining, ceilings,quotas, profiling, and institutionalize racism.

I read in the paper about a string of arsons in Gary, IN and it made me wonder if it was a reaction to Obama's win. So many White supporters of McCain blame Lake County for Obama winning, even though he won before the Indiana electoral votes were even decided. I'm worried for Blacks in this area. They already face enough racism around here, they definitely don't need any more. It does seem as if some who kept their racism hidden are starting to show it.

And I suspect that when the whole truth emerges about this horror story, there will be a racist angle. Most people here, if not all, know about the attitudes among many black people about interracial relationships, and as I highlighted above, as a general rule blacks are one of the most anti-gay populations in this country.

I don't think all black people are somehow guilty for the murder of the interracial couple, but I also know that if the murderers had been four white Marines there would have been a big outcry about it.

I would have supported an outcry if the murderers had been white. I think the relative silence about it now from the black community speaks volumes. Where is Al Sharpton? And what's this about 70% of California's blacks voting to take away rights from gay people?

Hey, I just realized that I'm misindentified in the last couple comments. I have more than one e-mail address. I am "charlie" above, and in a couple other comments.

This has been completely inadvertent. My main e-mail address is connected to the "charlie" account, and when I check that e-mail then any comments I leave on a Google website get identified that way.

It occurred to me that these last two comments were a lot more pointed than everything else I've left on this site. I want to be sure that I own up to all comments under a single identity here rather than have my good cop be "grinder" and my bad cop be "charlie."

"I would have supported an outcry if the murderers had been white. I think the relative silence about it now from the black community speaks volumes. Where is Al Sharpton? "

Charlie I can't disagree with you, there is a sexist double standard in the black community that makes me SICK.

But you know, where is the outcry in the white community over this... I bet if his wife was white, or Asian more whites would have gone ape shit for his sake and hers. I guess y'all the same in many ways.

btw, I meant to say "ballot" above in one of my earlier post. I must have had a Sarah moment.

I think there is an outcry to some degree, but by and large you don't see race-based outcries among whites. I'm not saying they don't exist, because we've all heard about them.

I have lots of mixed feelings on this. What a sad, sad story. They were such a beautiful couple and their story was touching. The last thing I read about it said that the killers did this solely for the money, and made it seem like the sergeant's house was picked at random.

I'm skeptical of that report. I mean, the sergeant's subordinates just happen to pick his house? And they sexually assault his wife? Something's the matter with that picture. It's not just a robbery gone wrong.

I guess I'm mentioning it here because it makes the larger point that everyone's got work to do.

By the way, on a different point, I dove into the numbers and calculated that black votes couldn't have provided the victory margin for CA Prop 8, at least to judge from CNN's exit poll showing that 70% of blacks voted for Prop 8, compared with 53% of Latinos and 47-49% of whites and Asians.

The math does not support a conclusion that blacks made the difference on Prop 8. That said, it was stunning that blacks supported it at rates so much higher than whites and other minorities. Clearly, there is work to do between the gay community (which obviously includes black people) and the non-gay black community. As we all know, there isn't a monolithic black population, nor is there a monolithic gay population, so the whole group thing has its limits.

Also, the numbers show that blacks vote at much higher rates than Latinos and Asians in California, so it could be that Latino and Asian citizens have just as high a rate of anti-gay feeling as blacks, but that anti-gay feelings among Latino and Asian citizens are concentrated among those who don't vote.

In the interest of complete accuracy, I re-did the numbers on Prop 8, and it appears likely that black voters did provide the margin of victory for California Prop 8, in the sense that if they had voted the same as non-black voters, Prop. 8 would have failed.

And if blacks had voted in the same proportion as non-black Obama supporters (a fair comparison given that all but a couple perecent of blacks supported Obama), Prop 8 would have been even more significantly defeated.

I don't "blame" all black people for this, but I do find it depressing.

Funny thing is that we have always been handed things after they have de-valued it. America was de-valued by the BUSH admin just by the way it was handled but the thing about it is we have a lifetime of getting "tattered hand-me-downs" and making the best of it. They gave us what they thought was "weeds" we made Collard greens. They gave us the "mess" of the pig and made them delicacies (in the eyes of some) i.e- pig feet, chitterlings, etc. They gave us lemons - how about we make lemonade but in our indiginous position but intuitive minds, bred to survive, we didnt just make the lemondade- we sold it too!! We will survive and make the best of what they gave. I say all that to say, in this condition of the world, in what better hands does it rest, than a BLACK family. we will make do and come out as gold. I have complete trust anbd belief that the OBAMA admin will do this country well

Well said! I'm glad you brought this up, because these are some of my thoughts as well. Like Maya Angelou said, "...and yet, still, we rise!"

This has always been a part of our African Americans heritage. We've always been a very resilient and resourceful people. If they would just put our whole history in the school books, and not just cherry pick those they deemed suitable, young African Americans would know that they have a heritage to be proud of, which would inspire them.

I am the family historian of our family. In researching our family history for many years, I had to learn a lot of history a long the way. I learned about African Americans that schools didn't teach about. My two favorite African American and African figures in history are Maria W. Steward and Queen Ann Nzingha.

Steward is my number one favorite. She spoke out against slavery in public places when slavery existed and encouraged African Americans to get an education in a time when it could have cost them their lives. She was an educator, activist, writer, orator, and much more. Steward was the first woman to speak in public when it was forbidden for women to do such things, white or black. She gave some powerful speeches.

May have already been said here, but it's time we talked less about racism and more about class in this society. The MSM looooves to talk about race (it's so sexy!) but almost never class--the 5-ton elephant in the room. Poor whites and poor blacks both get the shaft in this country, even moreso in the past 8 years, with the added punishment that they're supposed to accept poverty as proof of their own failings, endemic inferiority. Racism is still very real, but we need to talk class more, FN.

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